Gone the Way of the Dodo Bird

[MylesBAstor]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/22/technology/the-long-final-goodbye-of-the-vcr.html?module=WatchingPortal&region=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=thumb_square&state=standard&contentPlacement=4&version=internal&contentCollection=www.nytimes.com&contentId=http%253A%252Fwww.nytimes.com%252F2016%252F07%252F22%252Ftechnology%252Fthe-long-final-goodbye-of-the-vcr.html&eventName=Watching-article-click&_r=2

[Rust]

VHS, the inferior format that beat out Beta. The morons that ran Sony at the time wanted such outrageous royalties for use of the Beta format that pretty much every other manufacturer banded together and backed VHS. Shear weight of numbers killed the format. With the advent of DVD I didn't miss picking out twenty or thirty feet of taped jammed in the transport mechanism. Fortunately I rented VHS tapes so I'm not sitting on a ton of landfill material.

[MylesBAstor]

VHS, the inferior format that beat out Beta. The morons that ran Sony at the time wanted such outrageous royalties for use of the Beta format that pretty much every other manufacturer banded together and backed VHS. Shear weight of numbers killed the format. With the advent of DVD I didn't miss picking out twenty or thirty feet of taped jammed in the transport mechanism. Fortunately I rented VHS tapes so I'm not sitting on a ton of landfill material.

Actually it was the porn industry that tipped the balance to VHS.

[Alrainbow]

Yes it was all about time. I always read Sony wanted to release it too,fast and the original time of each tape was short and when VHS came out it was much more. It's why I bought it first I can say that.

[MylesBAstor]

Yes it was all about time. I always read Sony wanted to release it too,fast and the original time of each tape was short and when VHS came out it was much more. It's why I bought it first I can say that.

You needed a PhD to figure out how to operate those old machines. Particularly when recording!

[Johnny Vinyl]

I used to record vinyl to my Betamax...quality was pretty darned nice too!

[JCOConnell]

Sony only made one top of the line super vhs vcr, it cost $1500 in the 90's. I found one in perfect working order for $20 at a flea market and would never get rid of it. Just for capability sake of my home theater, its worth keeping.

[Johnny Vinyl]

That's what I paid for the first stereo Beta unit Sony introduced.

[spinblackcircle]

Sony only made one top of the line super vhs vcr, it cost $1500 in the 90's. I found one in perfect working order for $20 at a flea market and would never get rid of it. Just for capability sake of my home theater, its worth keeping.

Ahhh, the SLV-R1000. Many fond memories.

[JCOConnell]

that's the one

[Alrainbow]

I have a quick funny story. I was one the guys that bought the first ones so it was huge , about a year later they were cheeper half the size and twice the time to record with . So I bought the new one and gave the old one to my mom she was about 65 at the time or so. I proudly showed her hiw to use . Gave her a bunch of tapes to,use. She never once called me to ask any questions how to use it. I was amazed she was using it so good. So about two months later I was talking to my brother and said wow mom really knows how to use that thing . He replied why did you give that to mom. And I said she is happy with it and uses it all,the time. He said you asshole mom has no idea how to use it , she just does not want to hurt your feelings. After a few mins we laughed for 10 more how stupid was I. Myles when you said how hard it was to use. It , it brought that back to me. Thanks .

[MylesBAstor]

Good one Al! I once set my mother up with some of my old audio gear because she always wanted a real stereo system, not the garbage in the console my father had. But she never played it. My ex- spent an hour writing out instructions for my Mom on how to use the equipment with no luck. You know, hit this button to turn receiver on, turn that knob to increase volume, use that to switch to tuner or turntable, push up stylus guard, etc. So been there, done that!

[Alrainbow]

Thanks. As I get older the great stories become important to share , I don't know why. Your is funny too. I Di think it shows we are loving , caring and appreciated our moms.

[cpp]

And we even had format wars back in the good old days Betamax

[JCOConnell]

the vintage of the tv does not match the vintage of the vcr

[cpp]

General Electric's 1978 1000 Widescreen TV add.

https://www.google.com/search?q=1978+GE+widescreen+TV+and+VCR&biw=2366&bih=1159&tbm=isch&imgil=OZecst9GJU5eLM%253A%253BFtJvgdUJfAvRUM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.youtube.com%25252Fwatch%25253Fv%2525253D3xpKRr86TrE&source=iu&pf=m&fir=OZecst9GJU5eLM%253A%252CFtJvgdUJfAvRUM%252C_&usg=__VlTQmBlr4-bBKgcVb_w5QmHHkaI%3D&dpr=1&ved=0ahUKEwj1qcG38YrOAhXEOSYKHcNsDFYQyjcIMw&ei=bRGUV7W_K8TzmAHD2bGwBQ#imgrc=OZecst9GJU5eLM%3A

[JCOConnell]

I gave my mom a dvd player in 2001 and she could barely run that.

[cpp]

Here another real GE add

[JCOConnell]

why would it have stereo speakers in 1978 when component level tvs weren't introduced until 1983 and stereo tv until 1984?

[cpp]

Maybe its mono. Hey send GE a email and maybe they will tell you.

[JCOConnell]

it must be dual speaker mono, what a waste.